Ben Shapiro says Democrats have a clear motive to sabotage the American economy over the next two years so they can pin the damage on President Donald Trump.
“I think that the Democrats right now have a strong incentive to basically crater the American economy over the course of the next two years and blame President Trump for it,” the Daily Wire co-founder told Sean Hannity on the “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” podcast.
Shapiro’s warning follows Democratic victories in the 2026 midterms, which he says could push the party toward a more aggressive legislative push. He predicted Democrats will roll out “affordability bills” that aren’t really about affordability, paired with an effort to “destroy” the artificial intelligence industry.
“[The AI industry] is responsible for the vast majority of economic growth in the country right now,” Shapiro said.
He said the party will frame the effort as something else entirely.
“And they’ll do it in the name of populism,” he said.
Shapiro, during the same Thursday episode, also touched on his shifting views of Trump, rising antisemitism, personal security threats he says his family has faced, and the 2028 presidential field.
On Republicans’ odds after the midterm losses, Shapiro argued the GOP’s best chance rests on Democrats overplaying their hand.
“The only hope that Republicans have is that Democrats will do what Democrats typically do, which is misread the moment, see this as a mandate for radical change…” Shapiro said.
He pointed to recent political history as reason for Republicans not to panic.
“And whenever I hear Republicans go, ‘Oh, we’ll never win again,’ I’m old enough to remember when Barack Obama won re-election and then four years later, Donald Trump was taking his seat in the Oval Office,” he said.
The full conversation is available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and iHeartRadio.
